Shock is a life-threatening condition that can result from trauma, severe blood loss, heart attacks, cardiovascular dysfunction, ischemia, sepsis, and burns. Major classes of shock include but are not limited to cardiogenic shock, hypovolemic shock, hemorrhagic shock, anaphylactic shock, neurogenic shock, and septic (or endotoxic) shock. Shock can lead to multi-organ failure (also known as multi-organ dysfunction syndrome) if immediate medical treatment is not received. Under the conditions of shock, the intestinal barrier and walls become compromised and the digestive enzymes that are normally contained within the intestine permeate through the intestinal walls and enter the bloodstream, leading to a condition known as autodigestion, in which the body's digestive enzymes begin to digest its own tissues. Autodigestion is hypothesized to be a mechanism for inflammation and multi-organ failure resulting from shock.